The Muscles That Get You Noticed

A muscular chest is powerful. It increases your presence in the boardroom, wins her over in the bedroom, and intimidates on the playing field. Build strength and size where you want it with this innovative plan

Dec 4, 2006

3 Things You Don't Know About Your Chest

1. You're most likely to rupture your chest muscles in your 20s and 30s. Chalk it up to ego. Tears in the pectoralis major -- your largest chest muscle -- typically occur in men trying to bench-press more weight than they can handle, report Boston University researchers. The take-home advice: Always use a spotter.

2. Your chest can sabotage your posture. When your chest muscles are tight, they pull your shoulders forward, making you appear hunched instead of tall and straight. Use this doorway chest stretch twice a day to loosen up: Bend your right arm 90 degrees and place your forearm against a door frame. Then push your right shoulder forward until you feel slight tension in your chest. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

3. Your chest is one of the first muscle groups to atrophy when you stop lifting weights. That's because you rarely stress your chest muscles in daily activities. Think about it: How often do you have to push heavy weight away from your chest? Keep in mind that losing muscle slows your metabolism, which means that regularly

Pick Your Plan

3 Routines for the Results You Want

The Chest-Chiseling Complex

The premise behind this chest exercise workout is simple: Don't allow your muscles time to fully recover and they'll learn to withstand fatigue better. As a result, over time you'll improve your ability to churn out more repetitions of any chest exercise. And that means more muscle.

How it works: Perform eight dips [5] and eight pushups [6] without pausing between exercises. Continue alternating between moves, reducing the number of repetitions you do by one each time. So you'll do seven dips and seven pushups next, then six and six, and so on, until you're down to one rep of each exercise. Rest for 90 seconds, then try to repeat the complex. As your strength improves, add one repetition to your starting number of reps. Do this workout once every 5 days, maximum.

The Super-Strength Workout

Research shows that men who vary their repetition ranges in a wavelike fashion -- known by scientists as "undulating periodization" -- gain twice as much strength as men who do the same routine every workout.

How it works: Do three workouts a week, resting at least a day between sessions.

Monday (Workout 1)

Perform four sets of the barbell bench press, followed by four sets of the barbell incline bench press. Do four to six repetitions of each exercise, resting for 90 seconds between sets.

Wednesday (Workout 2)

Do three sets of the cable single-arm chest press, followed by three sets of the dumbbell incline bench press; perform 10 to 12 repetitions of each exercise, resting for 60 seconds between sets.

Friday (Workout 3)

Do two sets of dips, followed by two sets of pushups. Perform 15 to 20 repetitions of each exercise, resting for 45 seconds between sets.

The Timesaving Trifecta

Sure, performing three consecutive chest exercises without resting saves you time. But organizing your workout this way also keeps your muscles under tension longer, which is an effec- tive means of stimulating growth.

How it works: Perform one set each of three different exercises in succession, without resting -- a routine known as a triset. Mix and match the movements, using these guidelines: Start your triset with four to six repetitions of either the barbell bench press or the barbell incline bench press. Next, do 10 to 12 reps of either the cable single-arm chest press or the dumbbell incline bench press, and finish with 15 to 20 reps of dips or pushups. Rest for 60 seconds after each triset and repeat for a total of four rounds. Perform this workout 2 days a week, resting at least 3 days between sessions.

Barbell Bench Press

Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grab the bar with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart and hold it over your chest. Pull your shoulder blades down and together, then lower the bar to your chest. (Keep your elbows tucked in.) Pause, then push the weight back up.

Barbell Incline Bench Press

Lie faceup on an incline bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grab the bar with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart and hold it with your arms extended over your chest. Slowly lower the bar until it touches your chest just above your nipples, then press the bar back up.

Cable Single-Arm Chest Press

With your left hand, grab the high-pulley handle at a cable station and face away from the weight stack. Place your right foot in front of your left and hold the handle next to your shoulder. Without dropping your elbow, straighten your left arm. Do all the reps, then switch arms and legs, and repeat.

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

Lie faceup on an incline bench and hold a pair of dumbbells along the outsides of your chest with an overhand grip (palms facing forward). Press the weights straight above your chest. Pause, then lower them to the starting position.

Parallel-Bar Dip

Grab parallel dip bars and lift yourself so your arms are straight. Keeping your elbows tucked close to your body, slowly lower yourself by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Pause, then push back up to the starting position.

Pushup

Get into standard pushup position with your hands beneath your shoulders, slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Straighten your legs so your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Lower your torso until your chest is just off the floor. Push yourself back to the starting position.

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